PowerPoint 2007 For Dummies

Doug Lowe

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9780470040591
• eBook ISBN: 9781118050651
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Desktop Applications
• Index: Computer Science

• New and inexperienced PowerPoint users will discover how to use the latest enhancements to PowerPoint 2007 quickly and efficiently so that they can produce unique and informative presentations
• PowerPoint continues to be the world's most popular presentation software
• This updated For Dummies guide shows users different ways to create powerful and effective slideshow presentations that incorporate data from other applications in the form of charts, clip art, sound, and video
• Shares the key features of PowerPoint 2007 including creating and editing slides, working with hyperlinks and action buttons, and preparing presentations for the Web

Part I

Basic PowerPoint 2007 Stuff

In this part . . .

O nce upon a time, the term presentation software meant poster board and marker pens. Now, however, programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint enable you to create spectacular presentations on your computer.

The chapters in this part compose a bare-bones introduction to PowerPoint. You find out exactly what PowerPoint is and how to use it to create simple presentations. More-advanced stuff, such as adding charts or using fancy text fonts, is covered in later parts. This part is just the beginning. As a great king once advised, it is best to begin at the beginning and go on until you come to the end; then stop.

Chapter 1

Welcome to PowerPoint 2007

In This Chapter

Introducing PowerPoint

Firing up PowerPoint

Making sense of the PowerPoint screen and the Ribbon

Creating a presentation

Viewing presentation outlines

Saving and closing your work

Retrieving a presentation from the hard drive

Getting out of PowerPoint

This chapter is a grand and gala welcoming ceremony for PowerPoint 2007, the all-new and thoroughly revamped version of Microsoft’s popular slide- presentation program.

This chapter is sort of like the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, in which all the athletes parade around the stadium and people make speeches in French. In much the same way, this chapter marches PowerPoint 2007 around the stadium so you can get a bird’s-eye view of what the program is and what you can do with it. I might make a few speeches, but not in French (unless, of course, you’re reading the French edition of this book).

What in Sam Hill Is PowerPoint?

PowerPoint is a program that comes with Microsoft Office (although you can buy it separately, as well). Most people buy Microsoft Office because it’s a great bargain: You get Word, Excel, and Outlook all together in one inexpensive package. And PowerPoint is thrown in for good measure. Of course, depending on which edition of Office you buy, you might get other goodies as well, such as Access, Publisher, a complete set of Ginsu knives, and a Binford VegaPneumatic Power Slicer and Dicer (always wear eye protection).

You know what Word is — it’s the world’s most loved and most hated word processor, and it’s perfect for concocting letters, term papers, and great American novels. Excel is a spreadsheet program used by bean counters the world over. Outlook is that program you use to read your e-mail. But what the heck is PowerPoint? Does anybody know or care? (And as long as I’m asking questions, who in Sam Hill was Sam Hill?)

PowerPoint is a presentation program, and it’s one of the coolest programs I know. It’s designed to work with a projector to display presentations that will bedazzle your audience and instantly sway them to your point of view, even if you’re selling real estate on Mars, season tickets for the Mets, or a new Medicare plan to Congress. If you’ve ever flipped a flip chart, you’re going to love PowerPoint.

Here are some of the many uses of PowerPoint:

Business presentations: PowerPoint is a great timesaver for anyone who makes business presentations, whether you’ve been asked to speak in front of hundreds of people at a shareholders’ convention, a group of sales reps at a sales conference, or your own staff or co-workers at a business meeting.

Sales presentations: If you’re an insurance salesperson, you can use PowerPoint to create a presentation about the perils of not owning life insurance and then use your laptop to show it to hapless clients.

Lectures: PowerPoint is also useful for teachers or conference speakers who want to back up their lectures with slides.

Homework: PowerPoint is a great program to use for certain types of homework projects, such as those big history reports that count for half your grade.

Church: People use PowerPoint at churches to display song lyrics on big screens so everyone can sing or to display sermon outlines so everyone can take notes. If your church still uses hymnals or prints the outline in the bulletin, tell the minister to join the 21st century.

Information stations: You can use PowerPoint to set up a computerized information kiosk that people can walk up to and use. For example, you can create a museum exhibit about the history of your town or set up a trade-show presentation to provide information about your company and products.

Internet presentations: PowerPoint can even help you to set up a presentation that you can broadcast over the Internet so people can join in on the fun without having to leave the comfort of their own homes or offices.

Introducing PowerPoint Presentations

PowerP...

Table of contents

• Title
• Contents
• Introduction
• Part I : Basic PowerPoint 2007 Stuff
• Part II : Creating Great-Looking Slides
• Part III : Embellishing Your Slides
• Part IV : Working with Others
• Part V : The Part of Tens
• : Further Reading